2021 Yndyk train bombing

2021 Yndyk train bombing

The remains of the affected train near Yndyk following the bombing
Date	January 6, 2021 (2021-01-06)
Time	17:40
Location	Yndyk, Alsland
Type	Mass murder, time bombings, terrorism
Motive	The rise of Far right politics in Alsland.
Target	Yndyk commuter rail service, Civilians
Deaths	56
Non-fatal injuries	110

The 2021 Yndyk train bombing was a bombing on the Alsrail commuter service in Yndyk, on the evening of January 6 2021. The bombing killed 56 people and injured 110. The bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack in Alslandic history and the deadliest in Euclea since the 2016 Spalgleann bombings. On January 7, an official investigation was established into the attack and one man was subsequently arrested and charged with the attack.

Following the bombing, a link was established between the National Rally and the bomber who was named as Richold Zuidema. Zuidema was a member of the National Rally and had met the party's leader at a conference in 2019. Immediately following this police questioned Tristan Franck, who was the Secretary for Education if he had any knowledge of the bombing. Franck resigned from politics shortly after triggering the government to lose it's majority. A vote of no confidence was held in the government and the opposition won. Lilliana Elliott who was the Premier at the time apologised for her handling of the explosion and subsequent investigation.

Following the attack, there were anti-government demonstrations across Alsland after it became clear that there was a link between the terrorist and a party in the government. Political analysts speculate that the backlash caused the collapse of the government only months after winning a majority in the 2020 Alslandic general election.

Attacks

Nijenok

At 17:40, on January 6, 2021 a homemade bomb was detonated on an Eastbound line of the Yndyk Rail commuter service from Yndyk to Ilfracombe. The bomb which had been placed in the train's second to last carriage caused a partial derailment of the train in the Nijenok neighbourhood. The train was full with evening commuters as the Nativity Holiday had ended the day earlier for many.

Witnesses onboard the train reported a loud bang and threw many who had not been seated off their feet before the train came to an emergency stop due to the derailment. Footage from social media shows smoke quickly filling the train during the evacuation. Residents in nearby houses were the first to raise the alarm and respond to the train which many thought had only derailed. At 17:47 the rail line was closed in the Nijenok area due to a technical fault according to Alsrail. Emergency services arrived shortly after this.

By 18:00 the train had been fully evacuated of survivors and the injured with the exclusion of some survivors in the affected carriage who were rescued from 18:37 to 23:11. All Alsrail services were suspended nationwide by 18:32 out of fears the train had been purposely derailed. All stretches of track were searched and operations resumed the following day.

64 people were taken to hospital for injures, 2 would later die from their injuries sustained in the attack. At first it was reported that there were no casualties from the bombing but later it was reported that 'several people' had died. The full death toll was only revealed in an early morning press conference by Yndyk Metropolitan Police chief Sjouke Huizinga who informed the press that 50 people had died and 5 were missing. One of the missing was later found in a wooded area near Nijenok that night, the remaining 4 were all confirmed to have died in the explosion.

According to police investigations, the bomb was placed under a seat in the train by a passenger on an earlier service from Ilfracombe to Yndyk. The bomb according to police, was made up of the triacetone triperoxide explosive (TATP).

Yndyk

At 03:11 police arrested Richold Zuidema near Yndyk Central Station on charges of terrorism. Police arrested several others in connection to the bombing although all were released and cleared of charges the following morning.

On January 7, the Department of Justice was evacuated after a suspicious object was found in the building's lobby triggering a security alert in every government building. The object was removed from the building at 14:28 and the security alert was lifted .

Victims

The 54 victims of the attack were all Alslandic citizens with many residing in Yndyk, Delland or Fawkhamshire. The ages of the victims ranged between 19 and 77.

Most of the victims were in the second to last carriage of the train, two of the victims had been in the rear carriage and one was in the carriage directly ahead of the affected carriage. All were killed as a result of the bombing and 5 were discovered to have died from smoke inhalation or burns due to the subsequent fire onboard the destroyed train.

Effects and response

Conspiracy theories

Immediately after the attacks, West Miersan police questioned four Lemovicians on suspicion that they were responsible for the attack, leading to speculation that Aranoak or another Lemovician terrorist group were responsible for the bombing. This theory was lent credence when Sylwester Wrzesiński said during the annual nativity speech that "we will cooperate [with Alsland] to ensure that terrorists will be brought to justice," with West Miersan Justice Minister Szymon Krynicki subsequently expressing claims that "the Lemovician lobby has willingly paid off Alsland to cover up their involvement and to blame it on Richold Zuidema, so that they can pretend to be the innocents."

Several days after the arrest of Richold Zuidema and his links to the far-right National Rally, Maurillio D'Santis, an Etrurian radio host and member of parliament under the far-right Tribune Movement, claimed on his radio show that the bombing was a false flag, conducted by the Alslandic government. He said "its very convenient that within hours they arrest a man and immediately link him to the National Rally, a patriotic party. Think, this comes as the radical left is ascending across Euclea, they want to destroy parties that represent the patriots who know the truth. This is a plot to deny Eucleans a real alternative to the family, values and nation destroying globalist elite."

Reactions

Domestic

As it became clear that the explosion was deliberate the government declared an immediate state of emergency. Flags were flown at half-mast from January 6 to January 10. On January 8, the Folkssenaat held a two minute silence for the victims of the attack. A large amount of flowers were left outside Yndyk Central Station and a large vigil was held for the victims on January 14.

Lilliana Elliott called for the nation to come together in the aftermath of the terrorist attack and announced an immediate public inquiry into the attack.

International

Estmerish Premier, Reginald Wilton-Smyth was one of the first world leaders to offer their condolences